Getting Your Mustang Ready for Spring

This should be the year you go PerTronix in your Autolite or Motorcraft point-triggered distributor.

The PerTronix Ignitor or Ignitor II will make a difference you can feel in performance--smoother idle, easier starting, better fuel economy, and cleaner emissions. We've been using the Ignitor in our Mustangs for more than 10 years, and it's one of the best modifications you can make to an early Mustang.

After you've installed new spark plugs and a PerTronix Ignitor, the ignition timing needs to be set properly. Adjust it for total advance, not necessarily timing at idle. With the vacuum advance working, rev the engine to 3,500 rpm and hold it there. Total timing should be 36 degrees BTDC. That's exactly 2 inches to the right of TDC on your small-block Ford balancer. Mark it or use timing tape to get it accurate.

Change the fuel filter. Get off to the right start with an unobstructed filter and fresh fuel hoses. The hoses tend to dry-rot, which makes them unsafe.

Make sure the fuel hoses you buy are actually for use with fuel, as it's easy to get it mixed up. Today's automotive fuels are harsh, which mandates the right hose.

Start the year off right with new belts, as they become stretched and dry-rotted during the winter. Good, flexible belts ensure proper accessory operation.

No one wants to suffer a boil-over, so here's a quick tip. Flush your Mustang's cooling system every spring and install fresh coolant. You want a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water. Antifreeze is there for three reasons: boil-over protection because it raises the coolant's boiling point, freeze protection because it lowers the freezing point, and corrosion protection. Never run straight water in your Mustang's cooling system. Install a new thermostat and inspect the hoses while you're there. Classic Mustangs take a 180-degree thermostat, and late-models get a 192- or 195-degree thermostat.

If you've been plagued with overheating problems, you need to determine why. The standard, canned response is, "Old Mustangs run hot." This is nonsense. Outfit your Mustang with a high-capacity radiator, fan, and shroud to keep engine temperatures safe.

This is a good time to handle pesky maintenance issues, like noisy alternator bearings, a leaky power-steering pump...

...a groaning air-conditioning compressor, bad idler-pulley bearings, and more. Get this stuff out of the way before summer driving begins.

We don't give this area enough attention, and often ignore it completely. Steering systems don't get our attention until they quit, which is stupid. Inspect your power-steering system (hoses, control valve, power ram, and ball-stud).

If the ball-stud comes out of the control valve, you'll lose your steering completely. Inspect this guy closely and replace any marginal hoses. Inspect the rag joint between the steering column and gear on tilt-wheels.